FoodNet

Principles of cookery

1910

Page 4

Presented as published in 1910. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
fire and its care afterwards are much the same pro- the Fire cess. First remove ashes, brushing off the top of the oven under the covers. When the fire box is clear, put in crumpled paper, bits of wood, and then larger wood and a sprinkle of fine coal. See that all drafts are open. Replace the covers and then blacken the stove, if necessary, but polish after the fire is started. Light the paper and as the wood settles down, add coal, little by little, till it is even with the lining of the fire box. When the blue flame of coal disappears, close the oven damper, and a little later shut the slide under the fire box and the chimney damper. Open the damper when more coal is added. When coal is red it is nearly burned out. To keep a fire several hours shake out the ashes, 1 _ To Keep fill with coal, close the dampers, and partially open the Fir8 the slide above the fire. PRINCIPLES OF COOKERY. Gas Burners For continual use it is better to add a little fuel at a time, but not in the midst of baking anything. With wood and soft coal the chimney damper cannot' be closed as much as with hard coal, because there is more soot and smoke which must be allowed to escape. Gas is an invisible fuel obtained from several sources. Pure coal gas is more satisfac- tory than natural gas, or than the so-called "water gas." The es- cape of the latter is less easily de- tected and it is much more poi- sonous, hence there is more dan- ger in using it. For institutions at a distance from large towns a private sup- ply of gas which is fairly satis- ^^.^*===> factory is made from gasoline, and acetylene gas is now often made even for the single Bunsen Burner. llOUSC For fuel purposes, the burners are so constructed as to admit sufficient air with the gas for complete com- bustion. A bluish flame is produced, which is much hotter than the yellow blaze used for light. It is possible to admit too much air, which causes a loss of heat. If the air supply is adjustable, close the opening for the air until a yellow flame is produced, and then open it until the flame just comes blue again. If a burner in a gas stove "burns back" and shows a FTRE. yellowish flame, leaving a deposit of soot on the bottom of kettles, turn it out and light it again, being careful that the gas does not ignite back in the pipe before it mixes with the air. Gas stoves should be connected with the main sup- ply by a pipe large enough to insure sufficient supply of Gas Stoves Gas Stove with Oven. Broiler, and Hot Wa- ter Heater Attachment. fuel under all conditions. The amount used can then be regulated by the cook for each burner. Care must be taken to keep the burners and all parts of the stove perfectly clean. The gas stove is especially adapted to the conditions of the present age ; it is far less care than either wood or coal ranges, and at ordinary rates for gas, less ex- pensive when properly operated. Even at high prices Advantages of Gas Stoves 10 PRINCIPLES OF COOKERY. Gas Meter